Disaster Relief: A Compendium of Learnings from Engagements in Afghanistan, Iraq, Liberia, Iran, Sudan, Guatemala, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Lebanon

This 11-page document distills lessons learned from the NetHope consortium's experience in addressing information and communication technology (ICT) deployments for its members during 8 major disasters in 10 countries in the course of its first 5 years of existence. NetHope is an open, collaborative working group of information technology (IT) professionals from international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) dedicated to ICT solutions to help with emergency relief, human development, and conservation programmes in more than 150 countries.

Articulated in the form of set of guidelines for NetHope member agencies and for the relief community as a whole, the document begins by detailing the 3 stages of a disaster: 1) within hours of a disaster striking, 2) within 2 weeks, and 3) from 1 month following the disaster striking to multi-year. Several charts lay out NetHope's experience in disaster management, briefly clarifying what types of activities were carried out, at what stages, in what types of disaster, in which countries, and so on. A series of learnings gleaned from these relief efforts follows; namely:

• First Response Connectivity Kit - Stressing the urgent requirement for rapid provision of both voice and data communications immediately after a disaster strikes, NetHope contends that NGOs on the ground need a lightweight "NetHope ICT Kit" they can carry in their baggage to provide instant communications from Day 1 onward. Specific features are laid out in the document, and include such requirements as wireless local connectivity for both voice and data, optional reach of up to 100 km, firewall capability, alternate sources of power (solar, car battery), user management capability, etc. After several NetHope members tested Inmarsat's portable BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) product, which is based on secure 3G mobile service, NetHope adopted this as the solution to the ICT Kit for NetHope. Specifications are detailed in the document.
• To Engage or Not - The decision is affected by: the number of aid agencies active in the region (less than 4 would mean no engagement), robustness of communications facilities after the disaster, remoteness of the site, attitude of the government to allow provision of relief ICT equipment from outside the country, security of equipment on the ground, and ability of equipment vendors to provide local installation and maintenance capability.
• Long-Term Communications - "For stages 2 and 3 of a major disaster, especially in remote regions with many (i.e. 10+) people active in a field office, there is need for higher speed communications at a controlled rate....[A] fixed (shared or dedicated) satellite or microwave-based connectivity option is required – at 512 kbps or better. NetHope's agreement with Skylogic provides for this situation..."
• Software Applications - "Stages 2 and (more so) Stage 3 of a major disaster require software applications in addition to basic voice and data connectivity", including: relief material requesting, ordering, shipping, tracking, and distribution; refugee family reunification; personnel security; budgeting, accounting, and finance; donation application, tracking, accounting, and reporting; online web updates; at-risk employee management; local partner management, including grant allocations; vendor management; and government liaison.
• NetHope Headquarters Relief Committee (HRC) - Using email or phone within hours of the disaster occurrence, a member, staff, volunteer, or sponsor initiates a request for action to the NetHope Relief Operations Manager (ROM). The ROM sends out an urgent "call to arms" to the NetHope membership and sets up a conference call usually within 24 hours. This group becomes the HRC, and the ROM acts as the team leader. A series of conference calls follow, addressing specific items (detailed in the document). At the end of the engagement the ROM, with support of the headquarters and local committee leaders, creates a case study of the disaster.
• NetHope Local Relief Committee (LRC) - NetHope here outlines the key steps in forming a committee composed of its members' counterparts in the disaster-affected country. applications for customs duty waivers, telecom licenses, site preparation, etc. Specific meeting agenda items are listed; e.g., the LRC devises a plan for acquiring waivers and licenses, and sets up deployment plans before the equipment arrives in the country.
• Field Questionnaire - NetHope is developing an ICT field questionnaire that Headquarters Committee members are encouraged to send to their local representative as they are entering Stage 2 of disaster management; a sample of this questionnaire is provided in Appendix A.
• Fundraising Strategy - A series of concrete suggestions are listed; among them: "In view of the time-criticality of the task, approach[es carried out] through executive level contacts work the best - never a cold call - unless there is a well-established relationship with the donor's community affairs department..."
• Deployment Management and Tracking - NetHope is working to expand and web-enable its spreadsheet-based deployment tracking tool, which may be viewed in Appendix B. Specific lessons learned are included here; for example, because "[i]t is of vital importance to have appropriate ICT solutions on the ground with the first responder..., [o]ne of most important aspects of a first response kit is [that] its size and weight allow it to be carried as checked or (preferrably) cabin baggage with the traveller....For larger shipments like VSATs [Very Small Aperture Terminals] it is imperative...[to] approach government authorities for advance approval of satellite licenses, customs waivers, etc..."
• Disengagement Criteria - The HRC disengages from a disaster if all of the following criteria are met: All pledged donations have been received and allocated; all equipment has been ordered and deployed, and training of field personnel has been completed; all major issues associated with fundraising, equipment procurement, and field office empowerment have been addressed; all necessary reporting to donors and NetHope management has been completed; the case study of the disaster engagement has been completed; and HRC members agree that the committee adds no further value toward management of the disaster.